Where The Word Came From

         

        Just as a soldier of old pulls his sword from his sheath or scabbard, so does the Christian pull the revealed or quickened Word of God from the Written Word of God. 

        This imagery of the Armor of God on the Christian soldier is fully described in Ephesians 6:11-17. However, the specific verses of fourteen and the end of seventeen are the point of emphasis here.

        Jesus is the way, truth and life. He is the Word of God who created all things and holds all things together. This "holding all things together" image can be easily seen as the Belt of Truth in the Christian's armor. The Belt of truth is the Logos or written Word of God. 

        The Sword of the Spirit noted as the word of God at the end of verse seventeen is translated in the original Greek as the Rhema Word of God, or revealed/quickened word of God. The Sword of the Spirit is an inspired message from The Holy Spirit that is grounded in The Bible meant to defend yourself, apply appropriately to a situation or encourage and correct another person. 

        However, the whole armor, especially God's written (Belt of Truth) and revealed (Sword of the Spirit) Word were deemed necessary not only for attacks against this world's issues, but also against the spiritual opposition - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (v.12)

        My encouragement to all of the Soldiers in Christ today is to stay in The Written Word of God! As we meditate on His Logos, His purposes and promises, we will be preparing for when the time comes to do battle. One of my favorite verses in The Bible is Proverbs 15:23 - "A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!" There will come a time when a revealed word is called for, when the Sword of the Spirit is needed, however there needs to be no question Where The Word Came From.

        There is a song that declares There's Power In The Blood. And there is, there is wonder-working power in His blood, but before Christ gave His blood, during His ministry and for eternity He will always be The Word of God.

        If Christ said it or had His inspired writers document it (The Bible), I desire to know His mind and heart. Why? Besides Christ loving me enough to redeem my suffering and dying on a cross and then securing my eternal victory over death, hell and the grave through His resurrection - besides that - "The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen." (Isa. 14:24)

        He is The Word that needs to be on our hearts and in our minds. We should desire with every strand of our being to gobble up every morsel of The Bread of Life - His words. When we are filled-up with His words, God is able to use us to make Him known by having Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

SAY NO TO TEMPTATION

 

James 1:13-14

"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed."

        Humans are very fast to place blame. We shift our responsibility off on something or someone else easily. Long before pointing any fingers are due, a mirror should be consulted. God, the devil and others are always on the top of the list as possible scape goats for failing to rebuke our temptations. 

        While temptation certainly has a source with the devil and others, this verse makes clear who not to blame for temptations of evil and who is responsible - God is not and cannot be blamed for evil temptations, while humanity and their nature is the culprit.

        Temptation is the courting or dating mechanism used by whatever is the source of the tempting, to position a believer or non-believer into a habitual lifestyle of disobedience to God. As sin is repeatedly visited, the feeding and growth of this sin will lead to death manifested - physically, mentally and/or spiritually. For the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).

        Concerning this first part of the passage - "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil," - who could even imagine a successful attempt at temptation with the very essence and nature of God being Holy? Satan tried with Jesus in the wilderness but failed because of the Written Word of God being quoted against him by The Word of God in flesh. Christ defeated the enemy's temptations in this manner so that His followers would be able to use His Word likewise in similar situations.

        Observing the next part of the passage - "nor does he tempt anyone;" - God cannot be a promoter of something His nature rejects. His nature rejects evil temptations and His Word thwarts any attempt as we have seen. God does not tempt us to go through an evil experience for the development of our faith. Later on in verse 17 of this same chapter James says to this, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

        The fault of giving in to temptation and responsibility of owning up to it and staying away from it falls to us. The last part of this passage of study says, "but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." 

        First, temptation drags us away, dragging implying that of resistance, at least at first, then enticement once temptation gets us where it wants us. Temptation works in reverse of holiness - forsaking evil and cleaving to good. The heart is carried away cleaving to something evil and once alone or trapped then the enticing begins. Verse 15 describes the rest of the process - "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." 

        So, we have the opportunity to stop the growth process of our sinfully conceived or birthed temptations - "when it is full-grown". If we do not and our sinful habits continue until they consume us and/or they become "full-grown" then we must expect some sort of death in our life.

        Some handles for us to consider in rejecting evil temptations on our faith walk are:

1. Run from temptations. Surround yourself with the kind of people you know who are not going to place you in compromising situations. Have an awareness about your surroundings.  
2. Don't blame God, the devil or others all the time for your temptations, trials and sin. Look in the mirror. Do some soul searching. Consider the plank in your eye before removing the sawdust in your friend's, brother's or sister's eye (Matt. 7:3). Take responsibility.
3. Confess before God, repent (change your mind to God's way of thinking), ask for forgiveness, constantly speak with the Holy Spirit so He can alert you to danger and do steps 1 and 2 if you have fallen into temptation and allowed it to grow and fester in your life.

        Let us stop the Blame Game, especially Christians. When temptations come, look for the nearest exit instead of the quickest way to identify the sender of the temptation. We know the sources so Say No To Temptation.

KING of kings and LORD of lords

        

        When Christ Jesus returns with His bride, The Church, and all the angelic host of Heaven, there will be woven into His robe and tattooed on His thigh this truth, "King of kings and Lord of lords." (Revelation 19:16)

        I think of a king as a ruler of a grand swath of territory and population of many people. The king is responsible for the set up and smooth running of his administration that cares for all the different aspects of his kingdom or nation. 

        I think of a lord as a governor of people, laws, culture and society within a smaller community, such as a state, province, district, county and so forth. The lords ultimately report to the king or president of a kingdom or nation and deal with the local issues, elevating them to the king's attention when necessary. 

        The sobering thought that the Holy Spirit inspired me with concerning kings and lords is that if Christ is not The Lord and The King over your life then somebody and/or something else is. That replacement is usually ourselves, reliance on self and/or dependence on anything other than "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).  

        A king or lord does not always have to be in relation to the administration of property, land and people. Mentally and spiritually speaking, a king or lord is often a self-proclaimed title we grant ourselves for whatever reason we deem right. Ray C. Stedman, in his book God's Final Word: Understanding Revelation, adds a qualifying remark, he says -

• "If people reject the Lord's authority over their lives and if God is no longer God in their lives, then they must find another god! It is impossible for the human spirit to thrive without something to live for, something larger than itself - and that something is what god is!" (p.58) 

        King means ruler over all, especially the large decisions in our lives and Christ desires to be that Decision Maker for us and with us on our journey. He desires for us to accept Him as Wonderful Counselor in our lives.

        Lord means master, authority and jurisdiction over what we call the small things in life. Christ Jesus wants this also. He desires for us to cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). 

        Whether we are a believer in Christ or not, Jesus is King and Lord of everybody and everything. The matter is acceptance of this truth and a living of our life in light of this truth.

        The barrier that prevents the flow of favor, wisdom and knowledge many times is - first, a personal relationship with Christ as Savior of one's life is not established. For "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

        Secondly, you must take Him at His word, all of it and especially this word - that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Once these two criteria are met, I believe God has someone to work with, live with, guide through life and love in many different ways for the rest of eternity. 

        One way or another everyone will bow before Christ Jesus and confess He is Lord and King over all one day. The student of God's Word knows that when a point is emphasized multiple times in Scripture, the reader had better take heed. This subject, of Christ being Lord and everyone's eventual submission is covered at least three times - Isaiah 45:23-24, Romans 14:11-12 and Philippians 2:9-11.

        For those unbelievers in Christ, I hope and pray that you make the decision for a relationship with Christ Jesus today. To still be in the unbelieving number and be kneeling and confessing Christ's Lordship over all one day is not going to be one's ticket into Heaven. This is a recognition by all creation of whom The Master and Creator is - Christ Jesus.    

        Know that He is King over all those who declare themselves kings of any sort. He is also Lord over all those who think themselves master of their own life. Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.